Stretcher brace



April 10, 1952 H. w. CUTLER 3,028,858

sTRETcHER BRACE Filed May s1, 195e l N VEN TOR.

8 fd/z Maf/@Wma B' www r ATTDRN EYS United States Patent 3,028,858STRETCHER BRACE Hall W. Cutler, 308 N. 2nd St., Lamesa, Tex., assignerof one-half to Myrtle McCool, Lamesa, Tex. Filed May 31, 1956, Ser. No.588,284 3 Claims. (Cl. 128--S4) This invention relates to surgicalappliances, and in particular adjustable braces for the arms, legs, andother parts of the human body wherein, particularly in the case of bonefracture, arms, legs, and other parts of the body are retained instationary positions to facilitate healing of broken bones and the like.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a completely adjustablestretcher brace or support wherein arms, legs, and the'like may bestretched and clamped in extended positions as fractured bones, and thelike knit together.

Various types of adjustable braces and supports have been provided forretaining members of the body, and particularly arms and legs inextended positions, however, for certain fractures, such as a breakbelow the knee or on either side of the elbow it is difficult to retainthe parts in extended position. With this thought in mind this inventioncontemplates stretcher braces including straps having thrust pocketstherein whereby bars of steel and the like may be used with the endsextended into the pockets and with intermediate parts secured by screwswith wing nuts in extended positions so that arms, legs, and the likeare readily retained in substantially any position desired.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an assembly ofstraps having thrust pockets therein with bars having elongated slotsthrough which bolts with wing nuts thereon extend, and with U andL-shaped elements adapted to be adjustably combined, so that a brace ofsubstantially any design may be assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stretcher brace forarms, legs', and other parts of the human body in which the brace isadapted to be worn with comfort.

A further object of the invention is to provide au adjustable stretcherbrace for retaining parts of the human body in extended positions forhealing in which the brace is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the inventionembodies a stretcher brace assembly including arm straps having thrustpockets therein, U-shaped brackets having elongated slots and alsohaving adjustable elements therein, an L-shaped elbow strap also havingthrust pockets therein, and a plurality of straight and L-shaped barshaving elongated slots therein and adapted to be adjustably connected toretain parts of arms and legs in extended positions.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view illustrating the use of a stretcherbrace for an arm fracture.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the brace shown in FIG. 1 takenon line M thereof, the arm being omitted.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing a different arrangement of thearm brace wherein the elbow straps are positioned in a U-shaped brace.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational View showing the right angular positionedelbow strap assembly with braces extended therefrom broken away.

yFIGURE 5 is a cross section through a ring of the elbow brace taken online 5 5 of FIG. 4 and with the parts shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 1 showing anadjusting screw between the inner and outer sections of the upper armbrace.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view illustrating the adjustav ble bracketshown in FIG. 7.

FIGURE 9 is a view showing a clip adapted to be secured in differentpositions on the bars of the brace for retaining parts of the brace inadjusted positions.

Referring lnow to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, the improved stretcher brace of this inventionincludes a plurality vof spaced bars 11) having elongated slots 11therein and secured together with bolts 12 having wing nuts 13 thereon,U-shaped outer frames having arms 14 and 15 extended from a base 16,adjustable yokes or inner U-shaped lframes having arms 17 and 18extended from a base 19 and adapted to be drawn downwardly with a pullbolt 29, large straps 25 having thrust pockets 26 thereon, small straps27, an elbow strap 30 having right angularly positioned sections 31 and32 with thrust pockets 33 thereon, Z-shaped brackets 34 secured to aring 35 of an arm brace, an adapter including L-shaped sections 36 and37, and a clip 38 adapted to be mounted by one of the bolts 12 and wingnuts 13 in the slots 11 of the bars 10 or in other bars of the brace.

The base 19 is provided with an elongated slot 61 through which a head62 of the bolt 29 extends, whereby upon turning a wing nut 63, whichextends through the base 16 of the U-shaped frame, it is possible todraw the U-shaped frame downwardly to stretch muscles of the shoulder.

The U-shaped frame with the yoke therein when used in combination withthe elbow strap 30, will be assembled as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.The frame thus assembled is shown in a vertical position in FIG. l andin a horizontal position in FIG. 3. In FIG. l a forearm supporting baris secured to the base 19 of the yoke with the bolt 29, and as thusassembled the bar 75 extends outwardly below the forearm. One of thestraps 27 is positioned around the wrist of the forearm and bar forretaining the forearm in position on the bar, and a tongue 76 of a strap'77 on the section 3-2 of the elbow strap vextends over the bar with thetongue extended through a buckle 78. A strap 79 on the section 31 of theelbow strap extends over one of the arms 17 or 18 of the yoke and theupper ends of the arms 14 and 15 extend into the thrust pockets 26 ofthe strap 25. The strap 79 is provided with a tongue 8i) which extendsthrough a buckle 81 and by this means the elbow strap is secured in theyoke.

With the parts assembled as illustrated in FIG. 3 the arms 14 and 15 ofthe U-shaped brace are held in position by the straps 79 with the strapsextending over extensions 10 secured to the arms 14 and 15 with bolts 12and wing nuts 13, and ends 82 of the Z-shaped braces are positionedbetween the bars 10 and outer surface of the section 31 of the elbowstrap, the opposite end 83 of the Z-bars being positioned in the thrustpockets 33 of the section 32.

In the design illustrated in FIG. 4 the upper ends 33 of Z-bars aresecured in the thrust pockets 33, and the lower ends are secured bybolts 12 with wing nuts 13 thereon in openings in a ring positionedaround the section 31 of the elbow strap 30. In this design bars 85 and86 are secured to the ring 35 with bolts 12 and wing nuts 13.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 the base 19 of the yoke, including the sections17 and 18, is connected to the base 16 of the U-shaped frame with thebolt 29, the head 62 of which is positioned on the upper side of theslot 61 and the wing nut 63 of which is positioned against the lowersurface of the base 16. Where the lower end of the bolt is exposed andsubjected to abuse, a shield S7 is threaded on the end of the bolt `toprotect the threads thereof.

The adapter illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 is formed with the L-shapedsections 36 and 37 with the section 36 provided with an elongated slot88 and the section 37 with a similar slot 89. The right angularpositioned section 90 of the member 36 is provided with clips 91 and 92that extend around a similar section 93 of the member 37, the section 93`being provided with similar clips 94 that extend around the portion 90,providing an adjustable adapter that is adapted to be secured to thearms 14 and 15 or to the sections 17 and 1S of the U-shaped frame.

As illustrated in F EG. 7 clips 38, secured to the members 36 and 37with the bolts 12 and Wing nuts 13, extend over the arms 14 and 15 forretaining the adapter in position thereon.

The different elements of the stratcher brace may, therefore, beassembled to stretch the muscles of arms, legs, or other parts of a bodyto facilitate bringing fractures or broken bones in position and withthe parts in position the arms, legs, and the like may be retained instationary positions until fractured parts of the bones knit together orcompletely heal.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of theappended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the partswithout departing -from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l, A stretcher brace comprising a U-shaped frame having arms extendedfrom a base, a U-shaped yoke having arms extended from a base positionedwithin said U-shaped frame, means adjustably connecting the base of saidUshaped frame to the base of said U-shaped yoke, means connecting theends of the arms of the U-shaped yoke to the arms of the U-shaped frame,brackets adjustably secured at one of their ends to the arms of saidU-shaped frame, and an elbow strap having a first section positionedintermediate of the arms of the U-shaped frame and a second sectionpositioned at right angles to said rst section, thrust pockets on saidsecond section receiving the opposite ends of the brackets.

2. In a stretcher brace, the combination which comprises a U-shapedframe including arms with elongated slots therein extended from a base,a yoke positioned in the frame and having side sections extended from abase,

a bolt connecting the base of the yoke to the base of the frame, meanson the ends of the side sections of the yoke engaging the slots in thearms adjustaoly connecting the ends of the side sections to said arms,extension bars having elongated slots therein, ybolts with wing nutsextending through the slots in the arms and the slots in the extensionbars connecting the extension bars to arms of the frame, an elbow straphaving angularly positioned sections with thrust pockets and strapshaving buckles therein on said last mentioned section brackets havingone of their ends connected to said bars and the opposite ends thereofpositioned in said thrust pocket, said straps on said elbow strapconnecting said elbow strap to said extension bars.

3. In a stretcher brace, the combination which comprises a U-shapedframe including arms with elongated slots therein extended from a base,a yoke positioned in the frame and having side sections extended from abase, a bolt connecting the base of the yoke to the base of the frame,means on the ends of side sections of the yoke engaging the slots in thearms adjustably connecting the ends of the side sections to said arms,and elbow strap having angularly positioned sections with straps havingbuckles therein on said elbow strap sections connecting said elbow strapto said yoke, a strap having thrust pockets thereon receiving the upperends of said arms and a forearm supporting bar extended from the yoke ofthe frame, a wrist strap connected to said forearm supporting bar, saidforearm supporting bar adapted to be connected to the forearm by saidwrist strap, and being connected to the elbow strap by one of saidstraps on said elbow.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS412,213 Turner Oct. 1, 1889 590,625 Paquette Sept. 28, 1897 612,087 BoydOct. 11, 1898 653,179 Hughes July 3, 1900 2,079,567 Anderson May 4, 19372,301,534 Goodwin Nov. 10, 1942 2,413,053 Kolarik Dec. 24, 19462,808,052 Walchef Oct. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 542,918 Great BritainDec. 17, 1941 all

